Saved by the Bell: Where are they now?

Saved by the Bell: Where are they now?

From time to time, I find myself wondering what happened to the celebrities I grew up watching. Having recently seen Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Lark Voorhies, and Dennis Haskins in the news, it seemed like the perfect time for me to research what the main cast of Saved by the Bell has been doing since the series ended.

Character: Zack MorrisActor: Mark-Paul Gosselaar

Mark-Paul Gosselaar stayed active in Hollywood, starring in several made-for-TV movies and two shows that never made it past their first season. He seemed to have found his place back in television when he joined NYPD Blue as Detective John Clark Jr., replacing fellow child actor, Ricky Schroder, and remained until the show ended in 1995. After the series finale Mark continued to work in television as Richard "Dickie" MacDonald on the short lived Commander in Chief, starring Geena Davis. He then went on to have leading roles in Raising the Bar and Franklin & Bash. Most recently, it was announced that Mark will be joining the cast of Happy Endings.

Character: Kelly KapowskiActress: Tiffani-Amber Thiessen

Following the cancellation of Saved by the Bell: The College Years, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, who was dating Brian Austin Green at the time, joined her then-boyfriend on the set of Beverly Hills, 90210. She starred as Valerie Malone who, unlike the good-natured Kelly Kapowski, was a sexy and manipulative bitch. During that time Tiffani kept busy, starring in made-for-TV movies and accepting a few guest roles in both television and movies. After the success of Beverly Hills, 90210, Tiffani had several minor and major roles in television. Currently, she stars as Elizabeth Burke in the USA series, White Collar.

Character: A.C. SlaterActor: Mario Lopez

Four years after Saved by the Bell: The College Years ended, Mario joined Pacific Blue as Officer Bobby Cruz. Mario later guest starred on Hollywood Squares and hosted Pet Star as himself. His next major television role would come six years later on the soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful. In 2008, Mario released a book with Jeff O'Connell called Mario Lopez's Knockout Fitness. From 2006 - 2010, he guest starred on Nip/Tuck as Dr. Mike Hamoui. Despite his popularity as an actor, Mario found more success being himself on shows like Dancing With the Stars, Live with Kelly and Michael, and Extra. His latest appearance was as a guest on The Wendy Williams Show.

Character: Jessie SpanoActress: Elizabeth Berkley

Elizabeth Berkley followed her Saved by the Bell: The College Years success by starring in Showgirls as Nomi Malone, which was nothing like her former role as the well-educated feminist, Jessie Spano. She then co-starred in The First Wives Club as the bubble-headed Phoebe LaVelle. After a series of unsuccessful movies and guest starring roles on television, Elizabeth joined the cast of CSI: Miami. She also played Kelly Wentworth in The L Word for four episodes. In 2011, Elizabeth released a book titled, Ask Elizabeth: Real Answers to Everything You Secretly Wanted to Ask About Love, Friends, Your Body...and Life in General.

Character: Samuel 'Screech' PowersActor: Dustin Diamond

After Saved by the Bell: The College Years, Dustin Diamond continued his role as Samuel 'Screech' Powers on Saved by the Bell: The New Class. Since then, Dustin has had a few guest starring roles and cameos but nothing compared to the success of Saved by the Bell. In 2006, he directed and released his own pornography video called, Screeched: Saved by the Smell, where he has sex with a couple of hookers and then gives one a Dirty Sanchez. In 2009, Dustin released a book called Behind the Bell, a supposedly a tell-all book about what really went on behind the scenes of Saved by the Bell. The book, which appears to have no editor due to the abundance of spelling and grammar mistakes, is largely considered a work of fiction. In January 2012, Dustin hosted his own "Exclusive Birthday Bash" at Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City. I am not sure why it was billed as "exclusive" since prospective attendees merely had to pay $20 for the cover charge. Dustin currently works as a stand-up comedian.

Character: Lisa TurtleActress: Lark Voorhies

Following Saved by the Bell, Lark Voorhies guest starred on several television shows before she joined the cast of In the House as Mercedes Langford in 1997 and remained until the series finale in 1999. She went on to do a few more guest roles and unsuccessful movies, taking an extended break from Hollywood from 2002 until 2008. Recently, Lark made headlines with her startling and almost unrecognizable appearance. Earlier this month, her mother told People magazine that Lark is bipolar.

Character: Mr. BeldingActor: Dennis Haskins

Dennis Haskins continued his role as Mr. Belding on Saved by the Bell: The New Class and stayed throughout the series until it concluded in 2000. Since then, he has done a variety of guest starring roles and cameos both in television and movies. In 2009, he released an album called, Karaoke with Your Favorite Principal. Earlier this year he did a show with Pro Wrestling Syndicate which, in honor of his participation, was called Saved by the Ring Bell. He recently announced that he will return to Pro Wrestling Syndicate on November 9th to accept the challenge issued by their heavyweight champion, Kevin Matthews.

Never saw Saved by the Bell, but I always found it fun to see where once-popular people went from there. Fame is a fickle... mistress, and it's good to see that at least some of them stayed in a bright spotlight (especially TAT, since I was a big fan of BH90210 back in the day).